Changes in menstrual cycle can come after COVID vaccine. Heavier or breakthrough bleeding can arise, a new study confirmed, but experts stressed that the vaccine’s benefits still far outweigh risks. Read more

Even a drink a day might harm the brain. The daily tipple is linked to higher iron levels in the brain — a potentially risky situation for memory and thinking skills, the authors of a new study explain. Read more

Mindfulness can help ease pain, and scientists may know why. A first-of-its-kind study used MRI scans to discover that mindfulness meditation can separate the neurological source of the pain from the “self.” Read more

Biden administration extends COVID public health emergency another 3 months. The emergency declaration has been in place since January 2020, and the latest renewal comes as the highly contagious Omicron subvariant BA.5 continues to spread. Read more

Thyroid trouble may raise dementia risks. In a study of over 15,000 older Taiwanese adults, those who’d been treated for hypothyroidism — where the organ produces too little hormone — were substantially more likely to be diagnosed with dementia. Read more